U.S. climate denial is a call to action for the rest of the world

What can other nations do? Band together to punish any country that fails to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

- EUGENE LINDEN GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

JEFF J. MITCHELL Getty Images

DEMONSTRATORS in Scotland and worldwide brought attention to climate issues on Saturday.

IF THERE WAS ANY doubt that the current U.S. administration is the world’s greatest threat to action on climate change, President Trump removed it on Sept. 23 when he addressed the U.N. General Assembly and called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” and a threat promoted by “stupid people.”

He went on to ridicule Europe for reducing its carbon footprint by 37% and to extol the virtues of “clean, beautiful coal.” That's pretty clear cut, as is the threat of climate change.

So, the question looms: What are the vast majority of nations that recognize the threat of climate change going to do? Unfortunately, so far the answer turns out to be “very little,” but the international community could do something, and soon. Those same nations that assembled at the U.N. have a weapon at their disposal that could bring the U.S. back into the fold, a weapon that has been enthusiastically endorsed by Trump, one that could be deployed rapidly and would be simple to administer.